Connector for belts



Oct. 1939. A. l.. FREEDLANDER CONNECTOR FOR BELTS Original Filed Jan.14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Eig: I /0 INVENTOR.

ABRAHAM L. FREEDLANDER ATTORNEYS.

17, 1939. A. L. FREEDLANDER l 2,176,734

CONNECTOR FOR BELTS n l Original Filed Jan. 14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet?.

INVENTOR. l ABRAHAM l.. FREEDLANneR A TT ORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 17, 1939 i *UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE CONNECTOR FORBELTS Original application January 14, 1937, Serial No. 120,555, nowPatent No. 2,121,125, dated June 6, 1938. Divided and this applicationFebruary 9,1938, SerialNo. 189,624

, 1 Claim.

` This invention relates to belts. f Y It is an object of this inventionof provide a ybelt comprising a plurality of lengths of belt materialprovided with longitudinally inextensible reinforcement, which lengthsare detachably connected to form an endless belt construction, f f Itisa further object of this invention to provide, in such a construction,means cooperating with `a longitudinally inextensible reinforcementofthe belt material to connect adjacent ends of the lengths or sectionsof the belt.

lIt is a further object of this invention to provide belt connectingmeans for detachably connecting therends of a length of belt material toform an endless belt.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a beltconnector which is formed entirely of metal.

It is a further. object -of this invention to provide such abeltconnector which comprises a pair of clamping members adapted to besecured byscrews to the ends of thebelt and which clamping members areconnected by a length of flexible though longitudinally Yinextensiblearticulated metal mesh having its opposite ends each integrally securedto one of the clamping meinbers.

It isa further object of this invention to provide such a belt connectorconstruction, in which a cover in the form of a block of resilientmaterial such as rubber -or rubber impregnated fabric or the like isprovided as a covering for the metal mesh.

It is a further objectV of this invention to provide, in such a beltconnector, a block of resilient vmaterial such as rubber or the likewhich is formed in the shape of an analogouslength of the belt bodywhereby to provide for substantial uniformity or operation of the belthaving the connector secured therein.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means for connectingthe adjacent ends of a belt, which means comprises a block of rubber orthe like having incorporated therein a longitudinally inextensibleiiexible reinforcing member and means for detachably securing each ofthe opposite ends of the block to adjacent ends of a belt.

' It is a further object of this invention to provide'such a beltconnector in which the block member is formed inthe same shape and ofthe same materials as the belt.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a connectorblock which is adapted to `be detachably clamped at each end to an end nof a belt bymeans of screws passing through the block and through thereinforcing means there- These and other objects and advantages willappear from the following description taken in connection with thedrawings.

This application is a division of my copending application, Ser. No.120,555, filed January 14, 1937, which matured into United States PatentNo. 2,121,125, issued June 2l, 1938, and containing the generic claimsas well as specic claims to another species of the invention than thespecies claimed in the present divisional application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a belt connector constructed according to theprinciples of this invention as applied to a cog belt;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the structtue shown inFigure l;

l Figure 3 isa side elevational view, partly in section, of a modiedform of belt connector;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a secondmodified form of belt connector as applied to a cog belt;

Figure 5 is a plan View of the structure shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the construction shown in Figure 4, but inwhich the connector block of the belt connector is formed of beltmaterial;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional View, in elevation, `taken on the line 1-1of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an elevational view, in section, taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 6; and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic -view of an endless belt constructioncomprising a plurality of lengths or sections reinforced according tothe principles of this invention and connected by clamping means andscrews, as illustrated in Figures 4, 6 and '7.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly Figure l, the beltI is of hexagonal section (Figure -8) and is provided with outertransverse slotted portions 2 and inner transverse slotted portions 3forming spaced outer teeth 4 and spaced inner teeth 5. In order toconnect the endportions of the belt I, a. pair of substantially U-shapedclamping members 6 are disposed over the extreme end portions of thebelt I, which end portions include an outer Vtooth 4 and an inner tooth5. The clamping members 6 are provided at each end with inturned flanges1, one of which is adapted to be disposed in the slotted portion 2adjacent the end tooth 4, while the other flange 'I is adapted to bedisposed within the inner slotted portion 3 adjacent the end tooth 5. Ascrew 8 extends through an aperture in the outer leg of each clampingmember 6, extends through the body of the belt I and. is screw-threadedin the inner or opposite side of each clamping member lr inA order tosecure the clamping members 6 to the" ends of the belt I. The respectiveclamping members 6 of the belt connector are necessarily oppositelydisposed and are provided with a connection comprising an appropriatelength of articulated metal mesh 9 having its ends secured by means ofwelding I0 to the clamping members 6. The mesh 9 is disposedsubstantially at the neutral axis of the belt I. Other-securing meansmay, if desired, be used to connect the ends of the mesh 9 to therespective clamping- ,members .6..

,The belt I may be formed of any suitable resilient material such asrubber .or the like or of Vrubber impregnated fabric which may bereinforced, if desired, by thevincorporation therein of `a layer ofVmetal mesh disposed substantially at the neutral axis thereof, asVillustrated in Figure 7. Y The metal mesh 9 is freely flexible abouttransverse axes, butjssubstantially inextensible and it is preferred, informing the belt connector illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, that thelength of the meshS be so chosen that the end teeth 4 and theY end teeth5 be separated atvsuch distance as are teeth 4 and 5 separated in thebody of the belt.

The construction .of the belt connector illustrated in Figures 3 and 5is the same as that illustrated in Figuresl and 2, save that the mesh 9,which' is preferably welded at its ends 'to the clamping members 6,isprovided with a covering Ycomprising a block II of rubber or the likeof substantiallythe same shape as a corresponding length of the .body oftheV belt. yThe mesh 9 is preferably incorporated in the body of theconnector block II by vulcanization and, due to the projection throughvthe interstices in the mesh 9 of sufficient body material from oppositesides of the mesh, the resilience of the block II is substantiallyunimpairedby the incorporation therein of the metal mesh 9.

The provision ofthe block II in its disposition around the mesh 9provides additional uniformity of operation of the belt due to the factthat the inclined side edge portions of the block II provide substantialcontinuation of the inclined side surfaces of the body of the belt I. Itis, of course, to be understood that, where it is desired, the block I Imay be formed of the same material and in the same manner as is the bodyLof the Vbelt I, as may be clearly understood by reference to Figure 7.

The body of the belt I may also be provided with a layer ofreinforcedmesh at its neutral aXis, as illustrated in Figure 7. Whensuch reinforcement is provided, the mesh 9 of the connector block II issubstantially in alignment with the mesh ofthe body of the belt andintegral connection is provided between the ends .of the mesh 9 of theconnector block I I and the end portions of the mesh in the body of thebelt I by v.means of the clamping members 6 and the screws 8 whichpenetrate through apertures in the mesh in the body of the belt I.

In Figures 4, 6, 7 and 8 is illustrated a modi- KfiedV construction 4in,which the connector block I2, which is Vprovided with a layer of metalmesh 9 disposed in alignment with the neutral axis of the belt, is madein the form of a corresponding length of the body of the belt I, beingprovided with outer transverse slotted portions 2 and inner transverseslotted portions 3 which separate outer tooth portions I4 and innertooth portions I5 respectively. The connector block I2 is secured to`adjacent end portions of the belt I by means of oppositely disposedclamping members IB which are provided with inturned flanges Il at theirends which are adapted to be disposed respectivelyin the outer slottedportions 2 of the belt I and the connector block I2 and in the innerslotted portions 3 of the body of the belt I and the connector block I2.Clamping screws I8 extend throughY apertures in the outer clampingmember I6 and are screw threaded through apertures in the inner clampingmember I 9. as illustrated in Figures 4, '7 and 8.

In the form illustrated in Figure 4, the body portion of the connectorblock I2 is formed of rubber or likeV resilient material, while, in theform illustrated in Figures .'7 and 8, the body portion of the blockI2is formed of the same material as isthe body of the belt I, namely, offabric impregnated with rubber. The belt I, in the form illustrated inFigure 4, may, if desired, be reinforced with metal mesh 9 in the samemanner as is the belt I of Figures 7 and 8. y

In Figure 9, is diagrammatically illustrated the formation `of anendless belt constituted of a plurality of lengths or sections ZI whichare connected byV means of inner and outer clamping members I6 andscrews I8 cooperating therewith W.

in the manner illustrated in Figures 4, 7 and 8. The bodies of thesections 2|v are preferably provided with a layer of reinforcingflexible inextensible metal mesh 9, although, if desired, suchreinforcement may be omitted.

As`A will be most clearly understood, by constructing such an endlessbelt, as illustrated in Figure 9, by the use of a plurality of lengths2|, it is possible (where the` wear upon the belt is non-uniform withrespect to its length or where a section or length 2| becomes undulyworn) in order substantially renew the belt, to remove the screws I8extending through the opposite endY assembly. While the belt I, whenreinforced by" the use of ineXtensible metal mesh 9 becomessubstantially inextensible, where this reinforce- Vment is omitted, aconnector block I2 of substantial length may be inserted in theconnection between the ends of the belt I during its initial use,

and, upon stretching of the belt I, the length of the connector block I2may be reduced to cornpensate for this stretching or to shorten theeffective length of the belt. Likewise, the shortenving ofthe belt mayalso be accomplished by shearing away one or more of the toothedsections of the belt proper I.

Due to the free eXibility of the metal mesh 9 about laxes/disposedtransversely thereof and due to the flexibility ofthe mesh 9 inthe plane theref of, belt connectors constructed according to theprinciples of my invention provide far greater flexibility than isachievable in the use of articulated connectors formed entirely of rigidor nonresilient materials having` pintles or hinges such as are wellknown. The disposition of the mesh 9 in substantial alignment with theneutral axis of the belt is particularly advantageous when the body ofthe belt I is provided with like reinforcement as is shown in Figures 'land 8, because, due to the rigid connection between the mesh 9 in thebody of the belt I and in the connector by means of the clamping membersand screws, the effect achieved is substantially the same as though theinextensible reinforcing mesh 9 were formed as an endless member. Theformation of the connector blocks II and I2 into the same shape ascorresponding lengths of the body of the belt I produces a beltconstruction having more nearly the characteristics of a uniform andendless belt construction than has heretofore been achievable in theart. y

By the use of belt connectors, constructed according to the principlesof this invention, a more uniform traction' is securedV upon the drivenpulleys than has hitherto been achievable and the wear upon the pulleys,as well as shock and vibration imparted thereto, is also substantiallyreduced.

It is, of course, to be understood that the belt may be provided with awrapper of fabric impregnated with rubber or with oil resistantsynthetic rubber or other material where the belt is designed for use inrelations where contact with y oil is contemplated. The connector blocksI I and I2 may also be provided with such wrappers or covers. It islikewise contemplated that the end surfaces of the belt and/or connectorblocks may be coated with such oil resistant materials to prevent theattack of oil and other materials to which rubber is vulnerable.

By the use of the term` mesh, I comprehend any associated metallicreinforcements such as Wires and foraminous plates and material otherthan metal having these properties. Nails or other means can be employedinstead of screws.

It is, of course, to be understood that the above described structure ismerely illustrative of the manner in which the principles of myinvention may be utilized and that I desire to comprehend within myinvention such modications as come within the scope of the claim and theinvention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a cog belt connector, a connector block of resilient materialprovided with a reinforcing layer of flexible longitudinallyinextensible metal mesh, and means for lclampingly securing saidconnector block between the ends of a cog belt, said clamping meanscomprising rigid clamping members adapted to be secured to the ends ofthe connector block and to the ends of the cog belt by means of screwsextending through .the belt and through the reinforcement in saidconnector block.

ABRAHAM L. FREEDLANDER.

